Eyes So Blue I Drown

53| Revealed

ARABELLA

Renzo's lips tighten, and his expression remains unmoved as if my question were just a passing breeze. A chill runs down my spine, confirming the unsettling feeling that had been nagging at me. My suspicions, it seems, were right on the mark.

A huff escapes Renzo's lips, and he seems to carry the weight of a heavy secret, "This is what they wanted. To gather all of us here... especially him."

"Who are you talking about?" confusion and fear swirls within me, clouding my thoughts. What did he mean by 'especially him'?

"Romano," he confesses, his voice laden with guilt. "I brought them here when he asked me to. I... I got scared. After loosing my parents, I never dared to go against him. Maybe I've been a coward all this time, unable to stand against him even when Luca was by my side."

"You chose that scoundrel over your own friend," I retort. My disappointment weaving through the words.

His hands shakes as he points the gun at me, and the room seems to close in.

"You don't have to do this. Luca will find Romano, and we'll all be safe. I won't tell anyone about this."

"Nobody can escape him. Not even Luca. It was all planned from the beginning. You're not as smart as you think, Arabella," he asserts, his voice hollow and resigned.

The truth lands like a punch in my gut. Romano set a trap for Luca, and there's trouble waiting for him. My knees creak as I stand, eyeing Renzo's gun and then his face.

He's hesitant, like he's battling some internal struggle, unsure about pulling the trigger with me standing here.

"Drop the gun, Renzo," I say, urgency lacing my words.

"I gotta off you. Otherwise, he will kill me," he stammers, his voice breaking. Does he think any of us are having a good time here? We're all in the same survival boat.

"You're not some special case, you idiot," I shoot back, irritation bubbling up.

"It's too late now" the gun lowers as he breaks into sobs. I sigh - compassion is a luxury in this messed-up situation.

Taking a step closer, I snatch the gun away, and Renzo collapses, a broken mess.

My hand reaches out to comfort him, but he flips the script, holding a knife under my chin.

Hands up, I'm caught off guard. I've had enough of this circus.

Then, out of the blue, Renzo's phone rings, a ringtone I can't shake off. Surprise slaps me as I freeze, and for a second, everything stops.

I can't believe it's him, but that ring says otherwise.

Standing there, stunned, I realize - he's the one I kissed in LA. The messed-up puzzle of this night gets even crazier.

I move quick, landing a hit on Renzo's hand and a solid kick that brings him down. Now with the gun in my hands, I state plain and simple, "You're coming with me."

Renzo in exchange of the remote, it is.

I tie his hands behind his back and lead him downstairs, gun still in play. Walking in silence, I break it, asking straight up, "Do you know anything about these bombs?"

He keeps mum. "Renzo, I won't hesitate to pull the trigger. You betrayed Luca, put him in danger. I've got no reason to let you live."

"I don't know anything," he admits, glancing at my jacket. "I just know this bomb is vulnerable to water. I'm clueless about the remote or when it'll blow."